Happy Halloween to the Kidlittes!

I love to make personalized cards for my grandnephews and grandnieces by using photos of them on their cards.  Today, I'm sharing the cards I made them for Halloween this year.

I usually look into the Snapfish or Facebook albums my nieces load their photos into to find the photos I will use.  This super fun pic of 4 year old James (see his head in the cauldron with the pumpkins?)  was taken recently on their visit to Quebec for his great grandmothers birthday.  I just framed the photo in black and terracotta and added a sentiment from Peek a Boo Sentiments by Waltzingmouse.

For James' sister, 1 1/2 year old Madelyn,  I used a cute photo of her from the same trip to Quebec and added a hand made witches hat - with another sentiment from Peek a Boo Sentiments.

Here is 5 year old Landon -  but he's younger than that in this photo - I couldn't find a newer one that fit for Halloween.  I thought this sentiment, a combination of two stamps from Ocean Bound by Waltzingmouse, worked perfectly with the pirate mask!  The bat stamp is from Halloween Party.

And last, but not least - here is 3 year old Mila, Landon's sister.  I added a stamped and die cut witches hat and pumpkin from Tim Holtz Crazy Things stamp and die sets.  This is a photo from when they went apple picking this fall.

By pumpkins fat

and witches lean

by coal black cats

with eyes of green

by all the magic

ever seen

I wish you luck this 

HALLOWEEN!

(a sentiment stamp from WMS - Cicely at Halloween)

A Vintage Journey - Tag Friday!

As is the recent tradition over at A Vintage Journey -  when there are 5 Fridays in the month -  some of the Creative Guides create and post tags.  I signed up to create a tag for today - October's 5th Friday!   We can create any kind of tag we like - using any techniques/supplies - always keeping Tim Holtz as our inspiration!  I decided to go with a simple autumn theme.  Even though I love mixed media -  I've discovered I still like 'clean and simple' in my designs!

 Here are some photos of how I colored my tag.  First I rubbed Distress Inks - Ground Espresso, Fossilized Amber and Rusty Hinge on my craft mat, spritzed water on it then rubbed my tag over it, drying it, then rubbing it over the mix again - until I got the colors and look that I wanted.

I stamped one of the text stamps from Ledger Script over the left of my tag with Ground Espresso.  I didn't even use an acrylic block - just inked the stamp and pressed it against the tag with my fingers.

Next I stamped the flower stem from the Flower Garden Set using Ground Espresso Ink - then I colored it in with my Brushed Corduroy Distress Marker.

Have you seen the wonderful flower tutorials my fellow Creative Guide, Jennie has on her blog -  I have admired them from afar -  printing out the tutorials, reading them, and filing them in my craft room for 'some day"!!  Well,  I finally got the nerve to try it out a month or so ago -  and WOWZA -  I can actually make them!!  I made 4 while I was at it - trying out different colors.  Here is the link to all of her flower tutorials and here is the link to the one I used - using Tim's Tattered Florals die.

So I used one of the flowers I made on my tag today.  I forgot to write down  the colors I used when I created them - but I started with Rustic Cream card stock and inked it in a light orange Distress Ink.   Then for my tag I spritzed it with Espresso Distress Spray Stain for a more fallish look.  I brushed a layer of Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint all over the petals and spooned on some Black Micro Beads - then set it aside to dry.  The rose looks rather like a piece of fudge here with the Crackle paint still wet!!??!!

 Here you can see the light color better, that is under the Ground Espresso stain!  I adhered the rose over the stamped stem with Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive.

I colored two trimmings to loop through the top of my tag.   First a piece of Trimmings/Lace

and then a piece of Crinkle Ribbon.  I colored both by rubbing Distress Inks Fossilized Amber and Rusty Hinge on my craft mat, spritzing with water and rubbing the trimmings through it - and drying with my heat tool.

 I am so pleased with how my tag came out -  the rose is so large and dimensional - that I really didn't want to put anything else on it accept for stamping the  Handwritten Sentiment and adhering two Small Talk/Occasions Stickers.

You will find several other delightful tags posted with mine over at the A Vintage Journey Blog - I hope you'll stop by there!

Stamps:  Ledger Script, Flower Garden, Handwritten Sentiments - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  #8 Manilla Tag, Dark Chocolate - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Ground Espresso, Fossilized Amber, Rusty Hinge.
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Spray Stain Ground Espresso, Idea-ology - Trimmings/Lace, Crinkle Ribbon, Small Talk, Tattered Floral Die - Alteratioins, Art Ingredients - Black Micro Beads,  Flower tutorial by Jennie

Fusion Oct 29 - Purple and Poppies

Hi friends!  there's a new challenge up on the Fusion Challenge Blog today!  We've got poppies, purple and a lovely sketch!

 This fortnight I was inspired by the field of red poppies  - although my blooms are roses and I used cranberry and pink for my colors, but close enough, right!  I made the background using Adirondack Alcohol Inks, Gold Mixative and Alcohol Blending solution - all dripped onto a Blending Tool and pounced all over the Glossy Cardstock panel.

Here's a close up of how the Alcohol Inks look - the gold is actually irridescent IRL and the surface is all shiny like a glass tile.  I added black rhinestones to the center of each rose.

How will you be inspired by the Fusion Challenge this week?   Please join us and link up your card!  Here are links to the rest of the talented Fusion Design Team!  

Brandi Hall

Deanne Kay

Julia Aston - me!

Karren Johnson 

Katie Brooks

Kimberly Wiener

Lyndal Higgins

Lynn Mangan

Michelle Williams

Michelle Lupton

Sandie Munro

 Shannon Jamarillo

Stephanie Severin

 

You'll also find their cards and the challenge details over at the Fusion Blog!

Stamps:  Roses in Bloom - Waltzingmouse, Handwritten Sentiments - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Ink:  True Black - PTI, Archival Jet Black
Paper:  Glossy Card Stock - Ranger, White and Raspberry Fizz - PTI
Accessories:  Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Cranberry, Shell Pink, Gold Mixative, Alcohol Blending Solution, Blending Tool - Ranger, black rhinestones - Kaiser.

Joy Love and Peace - Framed

I've got another Christmas card for the box today!   I used the wonderful deer stamp from the same stamp set I used on my last post - Rustic Christmas by Waltzingmouse.

I stamped the deer with Versamark Ink and embossed him with gold embossing powder - then fussy cut him out.  I made the frame by nesting two Stitched Edge Rectangles inside each other.  I cut it out of  Coredinations paper and layered it all over a piece of Barnwood patterned paper.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

Merry Monday - A Christmas card with a frame on it

Splitcoaststampers - Inspiration Challenge - be inspired by something on the Bohemian Etsy Shop

I was inspired by this charm:

 I hope you are all having a lovely weekend!

Stamps:  Rustic Christmas - Waltzingmouse
Ink:  Versamark
Paper:  Kraft, Rustic Cream, True Black - PTI,  Cordinations, DP Barnwood/Paper Pizazz
Accessories:  Stitched Edge Rectangle dies - Waltzingmouse, gold embossing powder, foam dots. heat tool.

The Stockings were Hung

I have been straight out at work this week - we have a site visit coming up and we are preparing all of the information the reviewers need to see - so every night I've been coming home mentally exhausted!  But tonight when I got home - I wanted to sit in my craft room, relax and make a card!

The festive sentiment stocking is from the Rustic Christmas Set and the foliage sprig is from the Scandi Doodle Christmas set - both by Waltzingmouse.  I stamped the stocking in Classic Kraft and the foliage in Simply Chartreuse.  I laid my Wendy Vecchi Basically Bricks stencil over the stampings and sponged around them trying not to go right up to the sides of the stocking.  The lightness around the stocking gives the feeling of depth - even though this is a one layer card.

 I then used a stripes stencil along the top and bottom edges of the card.

 I colored the stems and berries with Copics.  Don't you love the fanciful little dots and stars around the leaves - they are part of the foliage stamps.

I'm linking my one layer card to the following challenge:

One Layer Christmas Card Challenge

 Ok,- now I'm going to go sit on the couch and relax!  Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Stamps:  Rustic Christmas and Scandi Doodle Christmas - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  Rustic Cream - PTI
Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Classic Kraft - PTI
Accessories:  Wendy Vecchi Stencils - Basically Bricks, Dots and Stripes, Copics - RV19, YG95

The Undertakers Coffin

Another spooky Halloween project from me today - may be the last of the season as I feel the pull of Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!   I made these using cardboard coffins that I purchased last year at an after season sale at Michaels.  I made them to sell at our church fair that was this past weekend.  I didn't go overboard in decorating as we sell things pretty inexpensively at the fair and wanted to make these up quickly.

It's pretty much all Tim Holtz for decoration ( The Undertaker, bat die, spider die)  accept for the Happy Halloween from Midnight Feast by Waltzingmouse.  I added red rhinestones in the eye sockets for a little bit of SPOOK!  There's a die cut bat fluttering on the top hat.

The stamp is an old advertisement for an undertaker in Marblehead, MA a lovely coastal town -  which is just a few towns over from where I live - thought that was pretty cool!  I put some Orange Stickles on the body of the die cut spider - it looks sparkly green for some reason I guess because of the black cardstock.

Here's a photo of how the caskets looked before I painted them with Graphite Texture Paint. It feels sandy and has a great sparkle to it!  I marked off where the cover fit over the bottom and didn't paint  there as the top wouldn't have fit over the bottom.   I painted the inside, the back of the box and the rim with black acrylic paint

Here you can see the painted edge and insides - as well as the little bag of candy I put inside.

I made 4 of them -  and they all sold -  of course we sell things cheap at the fair - $5.00 was the price.   The plain caskets were marked $3.99 from Michaels - but I'm pretty sure I had purchased them for $2 if not less last year.

I'm linking my caskets to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge -  I used Bat, Black and Skull

Stamps:  The Undertaker - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous,  Midnight Feast - Waltzingmouse.
Paper:  White - PTI, Black - Coredinations
Ink:  Archival Jet Black, Ranger Distress Ground Espresso
Accessories:  Graphite Texture Paste - Art Extravagance, Black Acrylic Paint - Martha Stewart, foam dots, Glue N Seal - Ranger, Bat Die, Spider Die - Alterations, Orange Stickles, Red Rhinestones - Kaiser.

Pinterest Inspired Illustrations

I'm excited to say that I was just chosen to be one of the Dirty Dozen over at Splitcoaststampers! I joined SCS in 2006 so it was a long wait - but I finally made it into the Dirt Pile!
So, today I played along with the SCS  Inspiration Challenge  - where our inspiration was an Illustrations Pinterest Board.

I was so inspired - I made two cards from two different illustrations.

Here is the illustration that inspired my first card - isn't this a sweet nighttime scene?!

source

and here is my inspired card:

 First I stamped the Spooky Tree Background stamp from Waltzingmouse on a white panel using True Black Ink from PTI. I stamped the foliage and daisies along the bottom with Archival Jet Black Ink. I made a mask by punching a piece of Eclipse tape with a circle punch and placed it where I wanted the moon to be. I sponged the whole panel with Smokey Shadow Distress Ink and then sponged the edges with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. I placed my Tim Holtz Speckles Stencil over the panel and inked over it with a Dew Drop Brilliance Midnight White ink pad to make my starry sky. I removed the circle mask and layered my die cut kitty from Poppy Stamps onto the tree branch with a foam dot. 

Here is the illustration that inspired my 2nd card

Source

and here is my inspired card:

First I stamped the skyline by inking the stamp with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and then just pouncing Ground Espresso Distress ink on a few spots to give a two tone look. I spritzed the stamp with water and stamped it on my white cardstock panel.
Then I sponged a little bit in the center with Distress Spun Sugar to represent the pink of the sunrise (or sunset) on the buildings. I stamped the Runway girl over the skyline and the sentiment in the corner using Ground Espresso Ink.
Next I sponged the whole panel with Distress Weathered Wood Ink. I sprayed some water into my palm and then flicked water onto the panel with my fingers to give the illusion of looking through the apartment window (like the illustration). I drew the lines with my black fine point Micron pen and layered the die cut kitty with foam tape.
I'm also linking my skyline card to:
Seize the Birthday - Toppings - Splatter (water splatter)

Cat in the Full Moon 
Stamps: Spooky Tree backgrounder - Waltzingmouse, Daisys Cornish Heritage Farms, Foliage - Art Impressions
Paper: White, True Black, Smoky Shadow - PTI
Paper Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Ink: True Black - PTI, Archival Black, Ranger Distress Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Brilliance Midnight White Dew Drop
Accessories: Speckles Stencil - Tim Holtz, Cozy Kitties die - Poppy Stamps, foam dot, Eclipse tape 

New York Sky Line
Stamps: Hand Written Sentiments, Runway, City Scapes - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: White, True Black - PTI
Paper Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Ink: Ranger Distress Grand Espresso, Chipped Sapphire, Weathered Wood, Spun Sugar
Accessories: Black 01 Micron Pen - Sakura, Water, foam dots, Cozy Kitties Die - Poppy Stamps.

Fusion Oct 15th - All Hallows Eve

Today's the start of the next fortnightly Fusion Challenge - and it's an All Hallows Eve inspiration photo for us this week along with a wonderful layered panel sketch.   We had so many beautiful fall creations last challenge - you guys are just creatively awesome!!

As always you can be inspired by the photo or by the sketch - OR you can do a Fusion and be inspired by both!   I was inspired by both this week -  using the candelabra from the photo and using the sketch for my card design!

I used orange and diamond stickles on the candles for the flame and the wax drip -  but as they dried - they look the same color - opulescent glittery -  I think it's because the background is black?!

The candelabra is an older Tim Holtz die called Candlelight Fright.  I cut it out of Onyx Shimmer paper from PTI so it has a little shimmer to it IRL - not sure if you can see it in the close-up photos.  The Halloween patterned papers are from a 6x6 pad from Authentique called Enchanted.

I added a spider and skull rub-ons from Remnant Rubs/Curiosities and a Small Talk Sticker/Occasions -  all from Idea-ology/Tim Holtz.

How will you be inspired this fortnight?   Please check out all the challenge details and the wonderful inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over at The Fusion Challenge.

here are links to the fabulous DT

Brandi Hall

Deanne Kay

Julia Aston - me!

Karren Johnson 

Katie Brooks

Kimberly Wiener

Lyndal Higgins

Lynn Mangan

Michelle Williams

Michelle Lupton

Sandie Munro

 Shannon Jamarillo

Stephanie Severin

I'm also linking my card to the Colour Q Challenge:

 

Paper:  Onyx Shimmer, Rustic Cream, True Black - PTI, DP Authentique/Enchanted
Accessories:  Idea-ology - Remnant Rubs/Curiosities and Small Talk/Occasions, Candlelight Fright Die - Alterations/Tim Holtz, Orange Peel and Diamond Stickles.

Pumkin Jack in the Windowbox!

I had a lot of fun creating this spooky Halloween window box!  I pulled out some older Tim Holtz dies, as well as my newer Eileen Hull Window Box die.

I have a couple of photos of how I started work on this.  I die cut Pumpkin Jack out of watercolor paper and pulled it through Distress Spray Stains Tea Dye, Wild Honey and Spiced Marmalade) and water that I had spritzed onto my craft mat.  I kept pressing the paper into the colors until it was the way I wanted it.

I did the same thing with the stem using Tea Dye and Mowed Lawn Spray Stains.

I die cut the Gothic Boo and 31 out of black Coredinations paper then brushed Clear Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint over them.

Then I got so into creating my project that I neglected to take any more 'process' photos!  I die cut the Window Box out of black matboard and put it together.  Then I adhered a piece of Sunset Vellum behind the window pane.  I brushed more Clear Rock Candy Crackle over the entire Window Box.  I die cut the face out of Pumpkin Jack using the Scary Jack O Lantern Movers and Shapers dies.  I decided not to put any paper behind the face as I liked the look of seeing the window right through Pumpkin Jack.   I adhered the Gothic BOO along the top of the window and the die cut spider from Candlelight Fright die off the B.  I added Tiny Twinkles for the spider's eyes.

I die cut the foliage using Garden Greens die cutting two out of tan and two out of green Core-dinations paper.  I sponged the edges with Ground Espresso Distress Ink - then brushed Clear Rock Candy Crackle paint over them.  When dry, I adhered them to the inside of the window box. I adhered the 31 from Gothic Boo on the front of the box with more foam tape.

 

 I adhered Pumpkin Jack to the window using layered pieces of black foam tape so he was held away from the window in back and away from the foliage in front!

 Here you can see the vellum adhered over the window panes from the back.

 The window box measures 4 3/4" x 6" (not including the extended Boo or foliage!) so it's a great size decoration for a shelf or window sill or even a table centerpiece!-  I really love how it came out!

I'm linking my Pumpkin Jack in the Windowbox to the following challenges:

Anything but Cute -  31 days of Halloween (must include the #31)

The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - Word Search - I used the words pumpkin, black, orange

Eileen Hull October challenge - Hauntings and Holidays

 Thanks so much for stopping by today!   I hope you enjoyed seeing my Halloween Windowbox!

Paper:  White Watercolor Cardstock, Core-dinations Black, Tan and Green, Little Sizzles Black Matboard - Sizzix, Sunset Vellum - Making Memories.
Accessories:  Alteration/Tim Holtz Dies - Pumpkin Jack, Gothic Boo, Garden Greens, Scary Jack O Lantern Movers and Shapers, Candlelight Fright;  Window Box - Eileen Hull Sizzix, Ranger Distress Spray Stains - Tea Dye, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey and Mowed Lawn, Ranger Distress Crackle Paint Clear Rock Candy, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions, foam tape.